Hourglass
by lucydeleche
Summary: Because a kiss is never just a kiss. A fanfic detailing Zuko and Jin's brief relationship through all the good times, bad times, awkward times, and tragic times.
1. The Kiss:Zuko

**I absolutely adore this pairing. I feel like the five minutes they were together on the show didn't do them enough justice. Soooo here's my version. It takes place right after the kiss *squeal* and continues until... well, you'll have to read to find out! Please read and review. I would much rather have someone tell me early on that something sucks or doesn't make sense then find out like a month later.**

**Peace and kisses. Mwah.**

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><p><strong>The Kiss: Zuko<strong>

What had just happened?

Zuko gingerly touched his lips, the lingering imprint of the kiss still tangible. That had been a kneejerk reaction. It was like his body had disconnected from his mind for a second, acting upon the wishes of some subconscious desire…

Zuko shook his head. Don't be stupid. It was just an accident. You felt sorry for the poor girl so you gave her what she wanted. There was nothing else to it.

Zuko continued to walk through the streets of Ba Sing Se, too distracted to notice where he was going. Since he had only arrived in Ba Sing Se a week ago, the city was still unfamiliar to him. In the daylight, the vast streets and the multitude of houses were just barely discernable. But at night, under the cover of darkness, the streets twisted and turned, looking completely unfamiliar and foreign. After a while, Zuko found himself hopelessly lost.

"Damn," he cursed, trying to keep his temper under control. He resisted the urge to yell in frustration. How could he get lost so easily in this stupid city? How was he going to find his way home?

Home… A sudden nostalgia gripped him. Three years ago home meant the royal palace with his father's acceptance. Home meant the memories of his mother that permeated every room. Home meant being proud of the fact that he was the crown prince of the greatest nation in the world.

Home was all a lie…

But still, home was what he longed for.

He was a banished prince, marked forever by the vicious scar that now disfigures his face. As soon as his father's flames licked his skin, his destiny was set, his honor was lost. In a split second, because of his imprudence, his whole future was robbed from him.

Who wouldn't want redemption?

And suddenly, as clear as day, he heard his Uncle's voice. _This is a chance for us to start over._

But what if he didn't want to start over? How could he, when he still clung to the past? How could he settle down in Ba Sing Se when he was always on the alert for a chance to escape? To go back to the way things used to be?

This was why he turned away from Jin.

He was from the Fire Nation. She was from the Earth Kingdom. Exiled or not, he was still a prince. She was just a common peasant. They were incompatible. Liking her would mean he was giving up on any hope of redemption. It would mean he was accepting the fact that this was his life now: a refugee who could never aspire to be anything more than a tea server. By pursuing a relationship with her, he would be laying down ties to Ba Sing Se. He would be one step closer to calling this accursed city his home.

Nevertheless… he couldn't help but feel his heart beat a little faster when he thought of her face as it inched closer and closer to his. Or how soft her lips were. Or the disappointed look in her eye when he turned away.

No, he shook his head again. No, get your head on straight. Focus on getting back to the apartment.

The streets continued to look unfamiliar. Building after building blended in with the shadows. After walking around in circles for a while, Zuko finally sat down on the sidewalk in exasperation.

If only I could have some light, he thought a little desperately. If only I could fire bend…

And then another memory wormed its way into his consciousness. The way Jin's eyes lit up when she saw the lamps were suddenly lit. She had smiled at him, and he had returned it…

Ugh! Zuko clapped a hand over his face, as if he was trying to literally knock the memory out of his head. Focus! Stop thinking about some stupid girl that you feel nothing for!

But now the memories kept coming, as if something had uncorked inside his brain.

Jin as she stepped out from behind the tea shop, the way she teasingly ruffled his hair. _It took my Uncle ten minutes to do my hair…_he remembered protesting. She had called him cute…

Jin as she slurped down the noodles with relish. At home, such behavior would be frowned upon. Fire Nation etiquette was strictly enforced; one toe out of line would result in temporary pariah status. But Zuko thought the gesture was endearing. She was such a refreshing change from the rigid, boring Fire Nation girls he used to associate with. He had tried to convey this to her, but instead…

He groaned out loud. Did he really say she had a _big appetite? _And did he really tell her that he used to be part of a _travelling circus? _

The more he thought about their date, the more he felt like crawling into a hole and dying. The night had been a disaster. He had made a fool out of himself.

But why do you care? He asked himself. His head was spinning in confusion.

_Well, at least that one part was true_, he thought wryly. It _is _complicated. He hadn't been lying when he told her that, after they kissed. If only she could see him now.

Suddenly Zuko noticed a familiar house on the corner of the street. He got up to take a closer look. Sure enough, on the next street over he saw the faint glow of the apartment complex. This whole time he had only been a few blocks away from his destination.

Swearing under his breath, he walked down the familiar path, too annoyed to think about anything else. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he finally reached the door of the apartment.

"How was your night," Uncle asked him as he closed the door.

Zuko thought of how he got lost, told Jin he was a circus freak, and then proceeded to call her fat. He slammed the door to his room, too frustrated to give Uncle a response.

But as he sat in the darkness, he then thought of that kiss, how gentle and… well, _nice _it was.

He opened the door to reply to his Uncle.

"It was nice."


	2. The Beginning of Everything

**Herro peoples!**

**If you haven't noticed (and it's okay if you didn't), I got rid of the chapter called The Kiss:Jin, and replaced it with this one. It was just poor planning on my part really, but I'm saving that chapter for another day. **

**Also, I realized that I really can't go forward with this story unless I go backward first. Again, poor planning on my part. This should really be the first chapter, and now everything is just out of chronological order. Mah baddd.**

**This takes place during the "City of Walls and Secrets." Enjoy!**

**Kisses. Mwah. **

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><p><strong>The Beginning of Everything<strong>

It began with a crash.

"Uncle!" An exasperated voice said, "Stop it, I can clean it up myself!"

"Don't be ridiculous, you just dropped a whole tray of tea. If you're not careful you could end up with more than just a bruised ego."

Jin looked up to see a scowling boy roll his eyes at an elderly man. Immediately he piqued her interest. The boy looked about her age, although she had never seen him around the city before. He was handsome for sure, with a crew cut that accentuated the masculinity in his face, and strong, calloused hands that nimbly picked up shards of broken china from the floor.

Jin had seen her fair share of pretty boys, however. If he didn't turn his head the moment he did, Jin would've looked back down without giving him a second thought.

Except he did turn his head that day.

Jin will never forget the first time she saw his scar.

It was so sudden, the way the smooth ran into the burned. The shiny, red scar covered the boy's left eye, permanently limiting it to a slit. Even now, when he smiled faintly at something the old man said, his left eye was still twisted at a slant, forever angry and in pain.

She remembered feeling pity for the boy, but it was fleeting. Instead, a deep, insatiable curiosity overtook her. She suddenly got a strange urge to walk up to the boy and touch his scar, to see if it felt as rough as it looked.

"Jin, honey, are you alright?" Her mother looked a bit concerned.

Jin realized she must've been staring at him for a long time. She hastily grinned, "Sorry mother."

But even after Jin's mother resumed talking, she didn't pay much attention. Her eyes kept drifting back to the boy with the scarred face. The questions were bubbling in her mouth, her thoughts were simmering. _How did he get that scar, and why? _

So Jin did what any girl would do when confronted with a mysterious, handsome boy.

She fell in love with him.

Of course, she didn't know that yet. Nevertheless, she started coming to the tea shop more and more, always sitting in the corner where she could observe him in peace. Sometimes he would catch her staring at him, and his cheeks would flush and he would haughtily turn around. Jin thought he looked rather cute when he blushed.

The first time she spoke to him was awkward.

He had served her tea that day. Jin had flashed him her brightest smile and said _thanks_. She had expected him to reply _you're welcome_, or _have a nice day_ or maybe even _let's do something tonight _(nah, she knew that wasn't going to happen). Instead, he had stared at her suspiciously, and turned around without saying a word.

Instead of feeling insulted, Jin felt even more curious. He started to pop up in her thoughts more and more frequently. At night she would stay up puzzling over his behavior, trying to guess his secrets, telling herself over and over again that her interest in him was simply like the interest a scientist would have toward an intriguing specimen. In other words, there was nothing else to it. She didn't even know his name for god sakes! What else could it possibly be?

Then came the turning point.

Jin had come later than usual to the tea shop that day. She had to run a few errands for her mother. As a result, by the time she got to her customary spot in the corner, the sun had already set. As she waited for her cup of tea, she drummed her fingers on the table, her eyes never straying far from the boy with the scarred face.

Suddenly the door burst open. The intruder stepped forth from the shadows, his face twisted with anger.

"I'm tired of waiting," the lone straw in his mouth bobbed up and down when he spoke. He pointed a menacing finger at the boy and old man.

"These two men are fire benders!" He exclaimed, the hatred in his eyes sharpening to a point. Swiftly, he drew out his two hook swords with a _whish _and assumed a fighting stance. Jin felt dumbfounded. The boy with the scarred face, _her _boy with the scarred face, a fire bender? How could that be? She looked around and saw that she wasn't the only one who was confused. Some were scratching their heads. while others looked at the intruder with skepticism. The boy and the old man simply stood there, staring at the accuser.

"I know they're fire benders," the intruder continued. "I saw the old man heating his tea!"

A man sitting nearby replied, unconvinced, "He works in a tea shop."

"He's a fire bender I'm telling you!" The intruder insisted, the swords in his hand glinting dangerously in the dim light.

"Drop your swords boy, nice and easy." The same man began to stand up.

The intruder directed his attention to the boy and the old man again. "You'll have to defend yourself." A smile was creeping on his face. "Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do."

Then the boy with the scarred face strode forward, his own eyes glinting with anger. "You want a show? I'll give you a show."

Out of nowhere he drew out two double broadswords and assumed a fighting stance. He tensed for a moment, and then kicked a table at the intruder. The clash and clang of sword on sword rubbed away at her ears as they fought. More tables were smashed. People started to panic and run away. But Jin was rooted to her seat, unable to keep her eyes off the boy with the scarred face. She watched as the two halves of his face started to look more and more like a whole. Then in a split second, just as he turned his profile to deflect another blow, Jin saw the perfect symmetry in his face. Both eyes were slanted down in a grimace, his mouth was open in a snarl. That look paralyzed Jin, and the chill of fear kept her from gasping.

Nevertheless, she couldn't look away. Even as he chopped away at the intruder with skill and precision, striking like a snake, the weapons in his hands glowing too impossibly bright, she continued to stare.

Then the fight moved outside. The spectators followed them like a pack of hungry wolves. Jin, however, stayed put. She noticed how fast she was breathing, how fast her heart was beating. The sound of it pounded in her ears, drowning out the faint _whish _of blades outside. She put a hand to her chest to steady her erratic heart and took a deep breath.

And the memory flashed through her head once more. The perfect symmetry of his face. She had never seen something so terrifying.

But even then, when she was afraid of him, she was also afraid _for _him. Even when she was frozen by the hatred and anger in his face, she couldn't help but notice how close the intruder's weapons would graze the air next to him. She couldn't help but notice the trail of silver that lasted even after the sword was swung, an apparition that looked just as sharp as the actual blade.

And suddenly she knew why her heart was beating so fast. It wasn't only out of fear.

It was also out of love.

And then she realized the truth; she had fallen in love with him that first day. She felt the truth deep in her bones. How long had she been lying to herself?

She must have sat there for a long time. By the time she snapped out of her reverie, the fight had ended. The boy with the scarred face and the old man had returned. Some of the customers had also returned, and an excited buzz permeated the tea shop.

"It was amazing," she overheard a nearby man tell his companion. "Best entertainment I've had in a while."

A shadow appeared in front of her. She started, and then found herself looking into the eyes of a face disfigured by an angry red stain.

"Here's your cup of tea," his voice was husky. "Sorry it's cold."

Her heart sped up and her palms began to sweat. This was the first time he spoke to her.

"That's okay. Nice fight, by the way." She took the cup of tea from the tray and sipped it slowly.

He stared at her with those intense eyes, silent. Then he walked away without a comment.

Jin watched him retreat, undeterred. She finished the cup of tea then got up from her seat.

She asked him out the very next day.


	3. Chatting

**Omigoodness! I realized I forgot the disclaimer for the first two chapters! That's what happens when you're a newbie.**

**Anyway, we're back to the present! I apologize for the jumping around. For the most part this will be in chronological order, unless I decide to take some libertiess.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar. I wish. **

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><p>Uncle Iroh was curious.<p>

His nephew had been unusually quiet in the morning. Granted, his nephew wasn't really the chatty type, but today his silence was different. If anything it was more brooding than usual. Sometimes a ghost of a smile would grace Zuko's face, although he would quickly shake his head and resume his normal scowl. As they walked to the tea shop together, Iroh noticed his nephew get more fidgety with each step.

It made Iroh wonder what really happened yesterday night. When Zuko had slammed the door without replying to his innocuous question, Iroh was sure the night had been a disaster. But then Zuko opened up the door and said very uncharacteristically, "It was nice."

As his uncle and basically his father figure, Iroh could boast that he knew Zuko pretty well. Therefore, he knew he wasn't making an understatement when he said that Zuko never said things were "nice." Characteristic Zuko behavior was swearing, sighing, brooding, and rolling his eyes in exasperation. He was too intense, too serious for his own good.

"Nice" was simply too trivial a word for his nephew to use. Iroh knew something was up.

He had tried to get it out of his nephew. The first time he asked nicely, but Zuko just ignored him. The second time he had tried to flatter it out of Zuko (you must've inherited your charms with the ladies from me!). His nephew had made a disgusted face and stayed silent. In a last ditch effort, Iroh had ordered Zuko to tell him. It took all his skill to dodge the flaming fireball.

Although he was disappointed at his nephew's unwillingness (a probable indicator that the night most likely did not go according to plan), Iroh decided not to push the subject further. If he couldn't get it verbatim, then he'd lay low and observe. His nephew was stubborn, but he was a terrible liar. Sooner or later he would give himself away.

Iroh had a feeling Jin would return to the tea shop. She struck him as the optimistic, confident type. And sure enough, just as they entered through the door, Iroh saw Jin sitting in her customary seat in the corner. He felt his nephew freeze beside him.

"Aren't you going to say hi?" Iroh whispered to Zuko.

"Mind your own business," Zuko stalked ahead, purposely avoiding eye contact with the girl. Iroh sighed and shook his head. He didn't want to interfere in his nephew's business, but he couldn't let this opportunity slip through his nephew's fingers. She would be good for him, a chance to settle down and live a normal life away from the corrupt politics of the Fire Nation. Zuko needed closure. He deserved it.

"I apologize for my nephew's rudeness," Iroh said to Jin. "Lee is very shy."

"I've realized," Jin smiled. "That's okay, though. I think it's kind of cute."

Iroh smiled in amusement. He decided that he liked how candid this girl was. Even though he could feel Zuko shooting daggers at his back, Iroh decided to sit down and talk to Jin anyway.

"So, Lee's uncle, what's your name?"

"I'm… Mooshi," he internally cursed his nephew for thinking up such a ridiculous name for him.

"Nice to meet you Uncle Mooshi. Lee told me a bit about you last night."

"Oh, really?" Iroh's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "I hope he did me justice."

Jin laughed, easy and carefree. "Oh, no. Don't worry, he didn't say anything bad about you, just how you guys used to be part of a travelling circus."

Iroh felt his jaw drop before he realized his mistake. Then he fruitlessly tried to cover up the damage.

"Of course!" he said a little too loudly. "Yes, we were part of a travelling circus! We even had a family act together…"

"Did you juggle too?"

Iroh gulped and started to sweat. It seemed Zuko wasn't the only one in the family who couldn't lie to save his life.

Jin sipped her cup of tea. "It's okay, you don't have to cover for him. I know he was lying."

Iroh didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief, too fearful of making everything worse.

Jin put down her cup of tea and immediately her demeanor changed. With the characteristic smile gone from her face, she looked older, more mature. Iroh realized that underneath her pleasant countenance was a force to be reckoned with. He chuckled. His nephew had finally met his match.

"Can you tell me something, Uncle Mooshi?" She said carefully.

He hesitated. "If it is within my right, then yes."

Jin drummed her fingers on the tabletop, as if unsure how to phrase her question. And just as suddenly as it came, the determination left her face. Instead, Iroh saw a vulnerable, young woman who looked just a little lost in this world. In other words, he saw the splitting image of his nephew.

"Lee doesn't like me, does he?"

"I'm afraid even I don't know the answer. My nephew is very guarded. He doesn't let go of his secrets very easily."

Jin nodded as if she could attest to this. She then paused, watching Iroh carefully.

"Can you tell me… how Lee got that scar?"

An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Iroh sighed and got up from his seat.

"That is something you'll have to ask him yourself."

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><p><strong>I think I'm ready for them to get together. *wink wink* Let the fun beginnnnn. <strong>


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